Read more: The Best Places to Find Your Next Set of Sticks - My Picks for Golf Clubs Shopping
When Thriston Lawrence stepped onto the first tee at St Andrews for the 152nd Open Championship earlier this month, not many expected him to contend. But contend he did, finishing fourth and turning heads with his confident performance on golf's oldest links. A key reason for Lawrence's success? His slightly shortened driver setup that maximized accuracy off the tee.
As readers of Golfaq.com know, I'm always on the lookout for new gear and swing strategies that can potentially help amateur golfers. Lawrence's performance immediately piqued my interest given the conjecture that shorter drivers result in lower ball speeds. However, as my sources at Ping explained, the G430 Max maintains excellent speed even in a shorter shaft. Combined with the model's impressive forgiveness across the entire face, it's clear why Lawrence felt comfortable attacking pins at Royal Troon.
Thriston Lawrence during the 2024 Open Championship/ Getty Images
The 27-year-old South African was a model of consistency from tee to green throughout the week. He led the field in the important Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee statistic, gaining over 6 shots on the field with his drives. Even more impressive was that Lawrence accomplished this while averaging just 299 yards off the tee - only middle of the pack as far as distance goes.
So how did he find so many fairways despite not being the longest hitter? As my sources at Ping revealed, Lawrence's driver of choice was a G430 Max, but with one notable difference - he uses a shaft that is 1 inch shorter than standard, coming in at 43.75 inches rather than the 44.75 inch average on Tour. Going with a shorter shaft allowed Lawrence to better control his drives and maximize his accuracy.
We've seen the benefits of shorter drivers before. Players like Tony Finau have tested going shorter off the tee and found an increase in ball speed and overall consistency as a result. With a slightly shorter shaft, it's easier to swing within yourself and find the center of the clubface time after time.
Lawrence's performance was proof that sometimes lining up confidently with a shorter driver can be better than tentative strikes with a longer one. He gave himself chances to score at St Andrews by keeping it in play off the tee. It just goes to show that challenges like the Old Course don't necessarily favor pure length - sometimes it's better to drive for show (accuracy) and putt for dough (giving yourself birdie opportunities).
With his stellar Open showing, Lawrence earned many new fans. It will be interesting to see if other tour pros take note of the success found with his slightly non-conforming driver setup going forward. One thing is for sure - Lawrence proved that driving it straight can go a long way to helping your game, no matter what course you're playing.
His experience shows a forgiving, shorter driver allows amateurs to play their game, not the equipment's. With a special 25% coupon for any G430 model through Golfaq.com, give this approach a shot to find new accuracy and consistency off the tee. It just might take your handicap, and game, to new levels.
References: https://golf.com/gear/drivers/shorter-driver-open-championship-ping/
.jpg)
